Home » Archimedes archive » Acorn User » AU 1993-10.adf » !OmniDesk/!Help
!OmniDesk/!Help
This website contains an archive of files for the Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Acorn Archimedes, Commodore 16 and Commodore 64 computers, which Dominic Ford has rescued from his private collection of floppy disks and cassettes.
Some of these files were originally commercial releases in the 1980s and 1990s, but they are now widely available online. I assume that copyright over them is no longer being asserted. If you own the copyright and would like files to be removed, please contact me.
| Tape/disk: | Home » Archimedes archive » Acorn User » AU 1993-10.adf |
| Filename: | !OmniDesk/!Help |
| Read OK: | ✔ |
| File size: | 0ADD bytes |
| Load address: | FFFFFF44 |
| Exec address: | C48D71DF |
File contents
OmniDesk: The Ultimate Desktop Application By Richard Hallas NOTE: Before you use OmniDesk you must decompress it. To do this, run this option to open the directory viewer as described below, and drag the !OmniDesk application to another disc. If you try to run the application from this disc, an error box will pop up for each of the OmniDesk applications which are loaded. OmniDesk is the ultimate desktop application: it consists of a desktop interface onto which anyone can add their own applications. Run this option to open a directory containing the OmniDesk application and a module called Interface. Before running OmniDesk, you should double-click on Interface to load it. If you want to use OmniDesk more regularly, it is more convenient to copy the Interface module into your system directory. to do this, locate your copy of !System which you use, double-click on it while holding down SHIFT, open the Modules directory, and copy the Interface module into this. In future, when you run OmniDesk, the Interface module will be automatically loaded from your system directory. Full instructions are included in the directory !OmniDesk.Docs, which can be accessed by double-clicking on !OmniDesk with SHIFT held down, and the double-clicking on the Docs directory. However, here is a quick guide to running OmniDesk. Double-click on OmniDesk to load it onto the iconbar (if you haven't decompressed the application, you will get an error). Click Menu over the OmniDesk icon. This menu contains four options, two of which for the core of the application. Utilities leads to a submenu which contains all the applications loaded into OmniDesk: there are three built-in applications (Locate caret, Turn caret off and Display sprite), and two additional applications (CloseView Magnifier and Coordinates). Choose any of these options to run that particular application. The applications perform the following functions: Locate caret: moves the pointer to the caret. Turn caret off: removes the caret from the desktop. Display sprite: drag a sprite file to the icon, and the first sprite in that file will be displayed in its correct mode. CloseView magnifier: magnifies portions of the screen. Can also be run by clicking Select over the OmniDesk icon. Coordinates: displays the pointer's coordinates, as well as basic information about the icon under the pointer. Can also be run by clicking Adjust over the OmniDesk icon. The last two also have a menu associated with them: click Menu over the relevant windows. This menu is described in detail in the ReadMe file in !OmniDesk.Docs. The Options option leads to the options window, where OmniDesk can be configured for your own uses. Again, this is described in the ReadMe file. � Copyright BBC Acorn User 1993
00000000 4f 6d 6e 69 44 65 73 6b 3a 20 54 68 65 20 55 6c |OmniDesk: The Ul| 00000010 74 69 6d 61 74 65 20 44 65 73 6b 74 6f 70 20 41 |timate Desktop A| 00000020 70 70 6c 69 63 61 74 69 6f 6e 0a 42 79 20 52 69 |pplication.By Ri| 00000030 63 68 61 72 64 20 48 61 6c 6c 61 73 0a 0a 4e 4f |chard Hallas..NO| 00000040 54 45 3a 20 42 65 66 6f 72 65 20 79 6f 75 20 75 |TE: Before you u| 00000050 73 65 20 4f 6d 6e 69 44 65 73 6b 20 79 6f 75 20 |se OmniDesk you | 00000060 6d 75 73 74 20 64 65 63 6f 6d 70 72 65 73 73 20 |must decompress | 00000070 69 74 2e 20 54 6f 20 64 6f 20 74 68 69 73 2c 20 |it. To do this, | 00000080 72 75 6e 20 74 68 69 73 20 6f 70 74 69 6f 6e 20 |run this option | 00000090 74 6f 20 6f 70 65 6e 20 74 68 65 20 64 69 72 65 |to open the dire| 000000a0 63 74 6f 72 79 20 76 69 65 77 65 72 20 61 73 20 |ctory viewer as | 000000b0 64 65 73 63 72 69 62 65 64 20 62 65 6c 6f 77 2c |described below,| 000000c0 20 61 6e 64 20 64 72 61 67 20 74 68 65 20 21 4f | and drag the !O| 000000d0 6d 6e 69 44 65 73 6b 20 61 70 70 6c 69 63 61 74 |mniDesk applicat| 000000e0 69 6f 6e 20 74 6f 20 61 6e 6f 74 68 65 72 20 64 |ion to another d| 000000f0 69 73 63 2e 20 49 66 20 79 6f 75 20 74 72 79 20 |isc. If you try | 00000100 74 6f 20 72 75 6e 20 74 68 65 20 61 70 70 6c 69 |to run the appli| 00000110 63 61 74 69 6f 6e 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 74 68 69 73 |cation from this| 00000120 20 64 69 73 63 2c 20 61 6e 20 65 72 72 6f 72 20 | disc, an error | 00000130 62 6f 78 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 70 6f 70 20 75 70 20 |box will pop up | 00000140 66 6f 72 20 65 61 63 68 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 |for each of the | 00000150 4f 6d 6e 69 44 65 73 6b 20 61 70 70 6c 69 63 61 |OmniDesk applica| 00000160 74 69 6f 6e 73 20 77 68 69 63 68 20 61 72 65 20 |tions which are | 00000170 6c 6f 61 64 65 64 2e 0a 0a 4f 6d 6e 69 44 65 73 |loaded...OmniDes| 00000180 6b 20 69 73 20 74 68 65 20 75 6c 74 69 6d 61 74 |k is the ultimat| 00000190 65 20 64 65 73 6b 74 6f 70 20 61 70 70 6c 69 63 |e desktop applic| 000001a0 61 74 69 6f 6e 3a 20 69 74 20 63 6f 6e 73 69 73 |ation: it consis| 000001b0 74 73 20 6f 66 20 61 20 64 65 73 6b 74 6f 70 20 |ts of a desktop | 000001c0 69 6e 74 65 72 66 61 63 65 20 6f 6e 74 6f 20 77 |interface onto w| 000001d0 68 69 63 68 20 61 6e 79 6f 6e 65 20 63 61 6e 20 |hich anyone can | 000001e0 61 64 64 20 74 68 65 69 72 20 6f 77 6e 20 61 70 |add their own ap| 000001f0 70 6c 69 63 61 74 69 6f 6e 73 2e 0a 0a 52 75 6e |plications...Run| 00000200 20 74 68 69 73 20 6f 70 74 69 6f 6e 20 74 6f 20 | this option to | 00000210 6f 70 65 6e 20 61 20 64 69 72 65 63 74 6f 72 79 |open a directory| 00000220 20 63 6f 6e 74 61 69 6e 69 6e 67 20 74 68 65 20 | containing the | 00000230 4f 6d 6e 69 44 65 73 6b 20 61 70 70 6c 69 63 61 |OmniDesk applica| 00000240 74 69 6f 6e 20 61 6e 64 20 61 20 6d 6f 64 75 6c |tion and a modul| 00000250 65 20 63 61 6c 6c 65 64 20 49 6e 74 65 72 66 61 |e called Interfa| 00000260 63 65 2e 20 42 65 66 6f 72 65 20 72 75 6e 6e 69 |ce. Before runni| 00000270 6e 67 20 4f 6d 6e 69 44 65 73 6b 2c 20 79 6f 75 |ng OmniDesk, you| 00000280 20 73 68 6f 75 6c 64 20 64 6f 75 62 6c 65 2d 63 | should double-c| 00000290 6c 69 63 6b 20 6f 6e 20 49 6e 74 65 72 66 61 63 |lick on Interfac| 000002a0 65 20 74 6f 20 6c 6f 61 64 20 69 74 2e 0a 0a 49 |e to load it...I| 000002b0 66 20 79 6f 75 20 77 61 6e 74 20 74 6f 20 75 73 |f you want to us| 000002c0 65 20 4f 6d 6e 69 44 65 73 6b 20 6d 6f 72 65 20 |e OmniDesk more | 000002d0 72 65 67 75 6c 61 72 6c 79 2c 20 69 74 20 69 73 |regularly, it is| 000002e0 20 6d 6f 72 65 20 63 6f 6e 76 65 6e 69 65 6e 74 | more convenient| 000002f0 20 74 6f 20 63 6f 70 79 20 74 68 65 20 49 6e 74 | to copy the Int| 00000300 65 72 66 61 63 65 20 6d 6f 64 75 6c 65 20 69 6e |erface module in| 00000310 74 6f 20 79 6f 75 72 20 73 79 73 74 65 6d 20 64 |to your system d| 00000320 69 72 65 63 74 6f 72 79 2e 20 74 6f 20 64 6f 20 |irectory. to do | 00000330 74 68 69 73 2c 20 6c 6f 63 61 74 65 20 79 6f 75 |this, locate you| 00000340 72 20 63 6f 70 79 20 6f 66 20 21 53 79 73 74 65 |r copy of !Syste| 00000350 6d 20 77 68 69 63 68 20 79 6f 75 20 75 73 65 2c |m which you use,| 00000360 20 64 6f 75 62 6c 65 2d 63 6c 69 63 6b 20 6f 6e | double-click on| 00000370 20 69 74 20 77 68 69 6c 65 20 68 6f 6c 64 69 6e | it while holdin| 00000380 67 20 64 6f 77 6e 20 53 48 49 46 54 2c 20 6f 70 |g down SHIFT, op| 00000390 65 6e 20 74 68 65 20 4d 6f 64 75 6c 65 73 20 64 |en the Modules d| 000003a0 69 72 65 63 74 6f 72 79 2c 20 61 6e 64 20 63 6f |irectory, and co| 000003b0 70 79 20 74 68 65 20 49 6e 74 65 72 66 61 63 65 |py the Interface| 000003c0 20 6d 6f 64 75 6c 65 20 69 6e 74 6f 20 74 68 69 | module into thi| 000003d0 73 2e 20 49 6e 20 66 75 74 75 72 65 2c 20 77 68 |s. In future, wh| 000003e0 65 6e 20 79 6f 75 20 72 75 6e 20 4f 6d 6e 69 44 |en you run OmniD| 000003f0 65 73 6b 2c 20 74 68 65 20 49 6e 74 65 72 66 61 |esk, the Interfa| 00000400 63 65 20 6d 6f 64 75 6c 65 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 62 |ce module will b| 00000410 65 20 61 75 74 6f 6d 61 74 69 63 61 6c 6c 79 20 |e automatically | 00000420 6c 6f 61 64 65 64 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 79 6f 75 72 |loaded from your| 00000430 20 73 79 73 74 65 6d 20 64 69 72 65 63 74 6f 72 | system director| 00000440 79 2e 0a 0a 46 75 6c 6c 20 69 6e 73 74 72 75 63 |y...Full instruc| 00000450 74 69 6f 6e 73 20 61 72 65 20 69 6e 63 6c 75 64 |tions are includ| 00000460 65 64 20 69 6e 20 74 68 65 20 64 69 72 65 63 74 |ed in the direct| 00000470 6f 72 79 20 21 4f 6d 6e 69 44 65 73 6b 2e 44 6f |ory !OmniDesk.Do| 00000480 63 73 2c 20 77 68 69 63 68 20 63 61 6e 20 62 65 |cs, which can be| 00000490 20 61 63 63 65 73 73 65 64 20 62 79 20 64 6f 75 | accessed by dou| 000004a0 62 6c 65 2d 63 6c 69 63 6b 69 6e 67 20 6f 6e 20 |ble-clicking on | 000004b0 21 4f 6d 6e 69 44 65 73 6b 20 77 69 74 68 20 53 |!OmniDesk with S| 000004c0 48 49 46 54 20 68 65 6c 64 20 64 6f 77 6e 2c 20 |HIFT held down, | 000004d0 61 6e 64 20 74 68 65 20 64 6f 75 62 6c 65 2d 63 |and the double-c| 000004e0 6c 69 63 6b 69 6e 67 20 6f 6e 20 74 68 65 20 44 |licking on the D| 000004f0 6f 63 73 20 64 69 72 65 63 74 6f 72 79 2e 20 48 |ocs directory. H| 00000500 6f 77 65 76 65 72 2c 20 68 65 72 65 20 69 73 20 |owever, here is | 00000510 61 20 71 75 69 63 6b 20 67 75 69 64 65 20 74 6f |a quick guide to| 00000520 20 72 75 6e 6e 69 6e 67 20 4f 6d 6e 69 44 65 73 | running OmniDes| 00000530 6b 2e 0a 0a 44 6f 75 62 6c 65 2d 63 6c 69 63 6b |k...Double-click| 00000540 20 6f 6e 20 4f 6d 6e 69 44 65 73 6b 20 74 6f 20 | on OmniDesk to | 00000550 6c 6f 61 64 20 69 74 20 6f 6e 74 6f 20 74 68 65 |load it onto the| 00000560 20 69 63 6f 6e 62 61 72 20 28 69 66 20 79 6f 75 | iconbar (if you| 00000570 20 68 61 76 65 6e 27 74 20 64 65 63 6f 6d 70 72 | haven't decompr| 00000580 65 73 73 65 64 20 74 68 65 20 61 70 70 6c 69 63 |essed the applic| 00000590 61 74 69 6f 6e 2c 20 79 6f 75 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 |ation, you will | 000005a0 67 65 74 20 61 6e 20 65 72 72 6f 72 29 2e 20 43 |get an error). C| 000005b0 6c 69 63 6b 20 4d 65 6e 75 20 6f 76 65 72 20 74 |lick Menu over t| 000005c0 68 65 20 4f 6d 6e 69 44 65 73 6b 20 69 63 6f 6e |he OmniDesk icon| 000005d0 2e 20 54 68 69 73 20 6d 65 6e 75 20 63 6f 6e 74 |. This menu cont| 000005e0 61 69 6e 73 20 66 6f 75 72 20 6f 70 74 69 6f 6e |ains four option| 000005f0 73 2c 20 74 77 6f 20 6f 66 20 77 68 69 63 68 20 |s, two of which | 00000600 66 6f 72 20 74 68 65 20 63 6f 72 65 20 6f 66 20 |for the core of | 00000610 74 68 65 20 61 70 70 6c 69 63 61 74 69 6f 6e 2e |the application.| 00000620 20 55 74 69 6c 69 74 69 65 73 20 6c 65 61 64 73 | Utilities leads| 00000630 20 74 6f 20 61 20 73 75 62 6d 65 6e 75 20 77 68 | to a submenu wh| 00000640 69 63 68 20 63 6f 6e 74 61 69 6e 73 20 61 6c 6c |ich contains all| 00000650 20 74 68 65 20 61 70 70 6c 69 63 61 74 69 6f 6e | the application| 00000660 73 20 6c 6f 61 64 65 64 20 69 6e 74 6f 20 4f 6d |s loaded into Om| 00000670 6e 69 44 65 73 6b 3a 20 74 68 65 72 65 20 61 72 |niDesk: there ar| 00000680 65 20 74 68 72 65 65 20 62 75 69 6c 74 2d 69 6e |e three built-in| 00000690 20 61 70 70 6c 69 63 61 74 69 6f 6e 73 20 28 4c | applications (L| 000006a0 6f 63 61 74 65 20 63 61 72 65 74 2c 20 54 75 72 |ocate caret, Tur| 000006b0 6e 20 63 61 72 65 74 20 6f 66 66 20 61 6e 64 20 |n caret off and | 000006c0 44 69 73 70 6c 61 79 20 73 70 72 69 74 65 29 2c |Display sprite),| 000006d0 20 61 6e 64 20 74 77 6f 20 61 64 64 69 74 69 6f | and two additio| 000006e0 6e 61 6c 20 61 70 70 6c 69 63 61 74 69 6f 6e 73 |nal applications| 000006f0 20 28 43 6c 6f 73 65 56 69 65 77 20 4d 61 67 6e | (CloseView Magn| 00000700 69 66 69 65 72 20 61 6e 64 20 43 6f 6f 72 64 69 |ifier and Coordi| 00000710 6e 61 74 65 73 29 2e 20 43 68 6f 6f 73 65 20 61 |nates). Choose a| 00000720 6e 79 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 73 65 20 6f 70 74 69 |ny of these opti| 00000730 6f 6e 73 20 74 6f 20 72 75 6e 20 74 68 61 74 20 |ons to run that | 00000740 70 61 72 74 69 63 75 6c 61 72 20 61 70 70 6c 69 |particular appli| 00000750 63 61 74 69 6f 6e 2e 0a 0a 54 68 65 20 61 70 70 |cation...The app| 00000760 6c 69 63 61 74 69 6f 6e 73 20 70 65 72 66 6f 72 |lications perfor| 00000770 6d 20 74 68 65 20 66 6f 6c 6c 6f 77 69 6e 67 20 |m the following | 00000780 66 75 6e 63 74 69 6f 6e 73 3a 0a 0a 4c 6f 63 61 |functions:..Loca| 00000790 74 65 20 63 61 72 65 74 3a 20 6d 6f 76 65 73 20 |te caret: moves | 000007a0 74 68 65 20 70 6f 69 6e 74 65 72 20 74 6f 20 74 |the pointer to t| 000007b0 68 65 20 63 61 72 65 74 2e 0a 0a 54 75 72 6e 20 |he caret...Turn | 000007c0 63 61 72 65 74 20 6f 66 66 3a 20 72 65 6d 6f 76 |caret off: remov| 000007d0 65 73 20 74 68 65 20 63 61 72 65 74 20 66 72 6f |es the caret fro| 000007e0 6d 20 74 68 65 20 64 65 73 6b 74 6f 70 2e 0a 0a |m the desktop...| 000007f0 44 69 73 70 6c 61 79 20 73 70 72 69 74 65 3a 20 |Display sprite: | 00000800 64 72 61 67 20 61 20 73 70 72 69 74 65 20 66 69 |drag a sprite fi| 00000810 6c 65 20 74 6f 20 74 68 65 20 69 63 6f 6e 2c 20 |le to the icon, | 00000820 61 6e 64 20 74 68 65 20 66 69 72 73 74 20 73 70 |and the first sp| 00000830 72 69 74 65 20 69 6e 20 74 68 61 74 20 66 69 6c |rite in that fil| 00000840 65 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 62 65 20 64 69 73 70 6c 61 |e will be displa| 00000850 79 65 64 20 69 6e 20 69 74 73 20 63 6f 72 72 65 |yed in its corre| 00000860 63 74 20 6d 6f 64 65 2e 0a 0a 43 6c 6f 73 65 56 |ct mode...CloseV| 00000870 69 65 77 20 6d 61 67 6e 69 66 69 65 72 3a 20 6d |iew magnifier: m| 00000880 61 67 6e 69 66 69 65 73 20 70 6f 72 74 69 6f 6e |agnifies portion| 00000890 73 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 73 63 72 65 65 6e 2e |s of the screen.| 000008a0 20 43 61 6e 20 61 6c 73 6f 20 62 65 20 72 75 6e | Can also be run| 000008b0 20 62 79 20 63 6c 69 63 6b 69 6e 67 20 53 65 6c | by clicking Sel| 000008c0 65 63 74 20 6f 76 65 72 20 74 68 65 20 4f 6d 6e |ect over the Omn| 000008d0 69 44 65 73 6b 20 69 63 6f 6e 2e 0a 0a 43 6f 6f |iDesk icon...Coo| 000008e0 72 64 69 6e 61 74 65 73 3a 20 64 69 73 70 6c 61 |rdinates: displa| 000008f0 79 73 20 74 68 65 20 70 6f 69 6e 74 65 72 27 73 |ys the pointer's| 00000900 20 63 6f 6f 72 64 69 6e 61 74 65 73 2c 20 61 73 | coordinates, as| 00000910 20 77 65 6c 6c 20 61 73 20 62 61 73 69 63 20 69 | well as basic i| 00000920 6e 66 6f 72 6d 61 74 69 6f 6e 20 61 62 6f 75 74 |nformation about| 00000930 20 74 68 65 20 69 63 6f 6e 20 75 6e 64 65 72 20 | the icon under | 00000940 74 68 65 20 70 6f 69 6e 74 65 72 2e 20 43 61 6e |the pointer. Can| 00000950 20 61 6c 73 6f 20 62 65 20 72 75 6e 20 62 79 20 | also be run by | 00000960 63 6c 69 63 6b 69 6e 67 20 41 64 6a 75 73 74 20 |clicking Adjust | 00000970 6f 76 65 72 20 74 68 65 20 4f 6d 6e 69 44 65 73 |over the OmniDes| 00000980 6b 20 69 63 6f 6e 2e 0a 0a 54 68 65 20 6c 61 73 |k icon...The las| 00000990 74 20 74 77 6f 20 61 6c 73 6f 20 68 61 76 65 20 |t two also have | 000009a0 61 20 6d 65 6e 75 20 61 73 73 6f 63 69 61 74 65 |a menu associate| 000009b0 64 20 77 69 74 68 20 74 68 65 6d 3a 20 63 6c 69 |d with them: cli| 000009c0 63 6b 20 4d 65 6e 75 20 6f 76 65 72 20 74 68 65 |ck Menu over the| 000009d0 20 72 65 6c 65 76 61 6e 74 20 77 69 6e 64 6f 77 | relevant window| 000009e0 73 2e 20 54 68 69 73 20 6d 65 6e 75 20 69 73 20 |s. This menu is | 000009f0 64 65 73 63 72 69 62 65 64 20 69 6e 20 64 65 74 |described in det| 00000a00 61 69 6c 20 69 6e 20 74 68 65 20 52 65 61 64 4d |ail in the ReadM| 00000a10 65 20 66 69 6c 65 20 69 6e 20 21 4f 6d 6e 69 44 |e file in !OmniD| 00000a20 65 73 6b 2e 44 6f 63 73 2e 0a 0a 54 68 65 20 4f |esk.Docs...The O| 00000a30 70 74 69 6f 6e 73 20 6f 70 74 69 6f 6e 20 6c 65 |ptions option le| 00000a40 61 64 73 20 74 6f 20 74 68 65 20 6f 70 74 69 6f |ads to the optio| 00000a50 6e 73 20 77 69 6e 64 6f 77 2c 20 77 68 65 72 65 |ns window, where| 00000a60 20 4f 6d 6e 69 44 65 73 6b 20 63 61 6e 20 62 65 | OmniDesk can be| 00000a70 20 63 6f 6e 66 69 67 75 72 65 64 20 66 6f 72 20 | configured for | 00000a80 79 6f 75 72 20 6f 77 6e 20 75 73 65 73 2e 20 41 |your own uses. A| 00000a90 67 61 69 6e 2c 20 74 68 69 73 20 69 73 20 64 65 |gain, this is de| 00000aa0 73 63 72 69 62 65 64 20 69 6e 20 74 68 65 20 52 |scribed in the R| 00000ab0 65 61 64 4d 65 20 66 69 6c 65 2e 0a 0a a9 20 43 |eadMe file.... C| 00000ac0 6f 70 79 72 69 67 68 74 20 42 42 43 20 41 63 6f |opyright BBC Aco| 00000ad0 72 6e 20 55 73 65 72 20 31 39 39 33 0a |rn User 1993.| 00000add
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